Katerina Dale
For some reason, it felt like eyes followed me everywhere I went in this mansion. As soon as Arosio left after breakfast, I tried to get away from the rest of his family so that I could make a quick phone call to my father. I need to confirm that my twin sister would still be coming tonight at midnight.
But my attempts were thwarted for the next hour, making me wonder why his family was willing to stay in the breakfast room for so long.
Don't they have things to do? Doesn't Adriano and Alanzo have their own careers to take care of?
Sighing to myself, I finally built up the courage to excuse myself from the table for the second time. As soon as I spoke, the De Luca family's eyes snapped to me and they watched me like hawks. I honestly had to suppress the shiver of terror that shot up my spine.
"Ah...is something wrong? Do you need me to stay here for something?" with my head tilted to the side, I stared at Arosio's parents and brothers in confusion. Elijah stirred in my arms, making me gently rock him back and forth so that he would go back to sleep.
"No, ma il fratello ci ha detto di guardarti mentre sta lavorando. Ci ucciderà se lo lasci, come hai accennato così tanto la scorsa notte mentre sei ubriaco," Adriano mumbled in Italian as he sent a look towards his younger brother who was grinning at me with that same mischievous glint in his eyes again. (No but brother told us to watch you while he is working. He will kill us if you leave him, like you so kindly mentioned last night whilst drunk)
"Huh?" my brows furrowed as I rolled my eyes at him before turning to look at an amused Arsenio and guilt stricken Eliana.
Why does she look guilty? And, why the hell does everyone speak in Italian when they know that I can't understand?
Rude rich jerks, indeed.
"It's nothing, dear. I was hoping to spend the day with you today. Arosio will be home late as he must complete a transportation deal with the Canadian Mafia. Arosio asked me to keep you company since he may come home late tonight," Eliana explained as I fought to keep the wide grin from spreading across my face.
"That's great!" I exclaimed with pure excitement but froze when they looked at me weirdly. Dammit, Katerina! You can't show this much happiness at the fact that your fake husband will be home late. Although, I couldn't help it, Arosio is too intelligent so him being gone tonight will make my escape much easier.
"Uh...I mean...I am glad that Arosio will be sealing a deal today. That's great for business," I laughed nervously at the end and avoided their suspicious gazes before standing up with Elijah in my arms.
"Please excuse me, I will put Elijah to bed for a nap and then I will come find you, mama," I spoke softly with an innocent smile and practically ran out of the room when Arsenio nodded his head to let me go. Although, I could hear Adriano and Alanzo immediately protest when I ran out.
"But dad, ha detto di guardarla. Nessuno di noi sa cosa sta succedendo a mezzanotte," Adriano rushed out before Alanzo cut him off, seeming to agree with him. (he said to watch over her, none of us know what will happen at midnight!)
"Sì, papà. Non sa quando finirà il suo incontro con Slate Moretti, quindi dobbiamo tenerla d'occhio per lui," I had no idea what Alanzo was saying nor what Adriano said and I didn't care to wait to hear anything else.(Yes dad, he doesn't know when his meeting with Slate Moretti will end, so we have to keep an eye on her for him)
Or maybe, I was too scared to hear what Arsenio, the former Mafia boss, would say. Even though I didn't understand what they were saying, something told me they were talking about Arosio and I. And, I don't think I was courageous enough to know what they were discussing.
My goal right now is to ensure that my father would be sending Isabella back here at midnight so that I can escape and return to my peaceful life. This is not my life and I refuse to live as a fake wife for the rest of my life. I'll admit, I do care for Elijah and Arosio's parents and mischievous younger brothers. But the thought of being Arosio's fake wife makes my heart freeze in terror and sweat to glisten down the side of my face.
Hell, even if I was his real wife, God forbid, I would rather die than be married to a Mafia boss. My honor and self-respect means everything to me. My grandparents raised me with their hard-earned, clean money. My twin sister might be able to stay married to that man and use him for his filthy, bloodstained wealth but I simply cannot do so.
The endless amount of blood on his hands.
I will never allow him to paint my world with the cries of his victims.
***
After putting Elijah to bed in his room for a nap in Arosio's private quarters, I searched every single floor for a house phone for hours but could not find any. It took hours because his private quarters in his childhood mansion is almost half the size of his personal mansion. I can't believe this family has so much wealth, it makes my skin crawl, not wanting to think of how they acquired so much wealth.
Thoughts of Eliana sending someone to find me, since I had promised to return to her before, caused guilt to fill my heart but it's already been a few hours, and she did not send anyone. I sent a silent prayer to God for this.
The only person who came to find me was the head butler, Clarence, who informed me of lunch time with the other De Luca members but I told him that I would not join the rest of them for lunch since Elijah was still sleeping. He seemed to hesitate before slowly nodding his head and agreeing to send mine and Elijah's meals to Elijah's bedroom soon. I thanked the heavens again since I was left alone to search through Arosio's private quarters for a phone but honestly, the thought of running away right then and there, crossed my mind many times.
But I have no cellphone, no money, no clothes. I don't even know how I would get from wherever we are to where my humble abode is in the countryside with my maternal grandparents.
After searching every floor of Arosio's quarters and not finding any phone nor any housekeepers who I could ask to borrow their phone, I almost broke down into tears when I returned to Elijah's bedroom on the fourth floor.
How could he not have a single house phone in his private quarters? It feels like he purposefully got rid of them. And, why aren't there any housekeepers in this side of the monstrous mansion? From what I heard, Arosio takes privacy very seriously and the only people allowed in his private quarters are his family members but there must be a team that cleans his quarters!
Repeated sighs escaped my lips as I pulled at my hair and tried to silence my sobs. I cannot survive another day in this house, I feel like I am walking on eggshells with Arosio. His mere presence terrifies me and makes such a simple task such as breathing almost impossible to accomplish.
I had not even realized that the little boy had woken up and was now standing in front of my legs. It wasn't until Elijah hugged my legs tightly and began to speak, that I snapped out of my inner turmoil.
"Mommy, don't cry. I will be sad if you cry." Elijah mumbled against my legs as I wiped my tears and bent down to pick him up.
"Mommy is sorry for crying, I won't cry anymore. Thank you for cheering me up, my little prince," I whispered while hugging his smaller frame to my chest. He was so small, innocent and filled with so much warmth. I almost wanted to take him away with me and not leave him with the coldblooded Mafia boss.
"Hmm, good mommy! Why were you crying though?" Elijah peered up at me curiously with his beautiful, wide emerald eyes, causing a smile to instantly spread across my face.
"Mommy needs to make a phone call but I could not find any phone," I pouted at the end and sat down on the king size bed with the little boy's arms wrapped around my neck.
"That's all? You're so silly, mommy. You can use my phone," Elijah giggled before hopping off my lap and taking the latest iPhone out of his nightstand drawer. I looked at him in complete bewilderment, wondering why the hell a three year old would have a cellphone. He seemed to understand my confusion since he laughed even more.
"Daddy said to keep in case of an emergency! I am not allowed to use it for anything else since Daddy said I am too young and that it could affect my health if I am always using it," I unconsciously smiled when I heard his reply and couldn't help but feel slightly shocked at Arosio's parenting style. I somewhat agreed with it and would probably do the same with my own children in the future.
"Makes sense. Thank you so much, my little prince! Mommy will make a quick call, can you please go freshen up in the washroom and make sure to wash your hands, alright? We will eat our lunch here in a bit," I spoke softly and smiled when the little boy nodded obediently before hurrying off into the washroom.
Without wasting another second, I quickly dialed the phone number that I had memorized when I spoke to my father on Arosio's phone previously. My eyes kept wandering from the bathroom door to the bedroom door, praying that Elijah and the maids that bring our lunch, would not hear my conversation. Each ring seemed to further increase my anxiety until finally, I heard my father's stiff voice.
"Samuel Dale speaking," his voice was cold and held no warmth at all, and for some reason, I found myself comparing it to Arsenio's voice. Although Arsenio was the former Mafia boss and a coldblooded man no doubt, his voice held warmth when he spoke to his family members. Hell, it held warmth even when he spoke to me during breakfast this morning!
"Father, it's me," I whispered and heard him mutter a few words out of annoyance.
"Do not fucking call me that," he seethed in anger, making me cringe away from the phone before pulling it back to my ear. He didn't wait for me to reply and instead began to speak again.
"Why the hell weren't any of my calls going through? I have been calling the De Luca family mansion since this morning but no one is picking up my calls!" he yelled at me as though it was my fault which made my brows furrow in confusion since I had nothing to do with it. I was about to defend myself when he cut me off and continued to speak.
"Whatever, I do not care. At least you had the brains to contact me today. There's been a change of plans," his words almost sent me to an early death as I felt my heart cease to beat. All of the worst possible scenarios began to play out in my mind as my breathing came out in short, ragged breaths. I remained perfectly silent, waiting for him to explain the change of plans.
"Instead of midnight, my daughter will be returning to the De Luca family mansion at 6:50 pm. She informed me that the De Luca family always eats dinner at 7:00 pm sharp so make sure you come outside before dinner and one of my drivers will be waiting in a black Audi to take you back to the Avery house in the countryside," the amount of happiness that I felt at his next words was indescribable. I could finally feel my heart begin to beat again as I suppressed the urge to jump up and down in pure joy.
"Yes, I understand, Sir. But what about her hair?" I avoided addressing him as father this time and could practically feel his satisfaction through the phone. Did he really have to hate me this much?
"Isabella temporarily dyed her hair to the same color as yours. Anything else?" his hard tone was laced with annoyance and I unconsciously flinched back while gripping the phone tighter with my nervous sweaty palms.
"She may need to wear green contacts...I had an allergic reaction and had to take off the blue contacts," I whispered fearfully and rushed out the last part so that he wouldn't yell at me. There was a slight pause and I could feel him trying to reign in his anger. After what felt like forever but was only a few seconds, he sighed and finally replied to me.
"Fine. Remember, make sure you meet my daughter at the back of the De Luca family mansion. They have too many surveillance cameras and guards in the front of the mansion. My men will be temporarily hacking into their surveillance cameras at the back of the mansion at 6:50 pm and will knock out the guards at the back. That is all I have to say to you. Do not fuck this up or else," with that silent threat hanging in the air, he swiftly cut the phone as if his words had not just made all the color drain from my face.
Please God, help me with escaping the Mafia boss and I promise I will build a shrine for you once I return home!
***
After a simple lunch in Elijah's room, we made our way to Arsenio and Eliana's private quarters to spend some time with them as promised before. I felt many eyes on my back as I carried Elijah to their quarters but I shrugged it off, thinking maybe I was wrong.
We spent the next few hours with Elijah's grandparents and Arsenio kept Elijah entertained by showing him various guns and teaching him the names of those guns. At first, I paled at the sight of the guns and immediately pulled Elijah into my trembling arms. The older couple simply laughed lightly before assuring me that it was safe and that Elijah already knew most of the guns and special knives. I stared down at the not-so-innocent little boy in shock but he simply gave me a sweet smile, as if to reassure me that he was still the angel I thought him to be.
Sighing, I let him go to Arsenio and sat down with Eliana on their bed as she showed me family albums. I even learnt more about Elijah's late mother, Alana De Luca, from Eliana who was sharing the family's history with me. Adriano and Alanzo came in halfway and seemed taken aback at their mother who was sharing everything with me but they ended up joining us and listened to our conversation.
Alana was the princess of this crazy Mafia family and a literal angel, based on the stories I have been told. She fell in love with Elijah's father, Damien Patrov, at the tender age of 20 years old. Damien was a member of their Mafia, although he did not hold a powerful position like Arosio, Giovanni and Alejandro. They married in that same year and conceived Elijah a few months later. During Alana's third trimester, there was an ambush in which Damien was shot repeatedly by the Russian Mafia which resulted in his death. This caused great stress for the mom-to-be and she was in a depression up until the birth which led to several complications.
"I'm so sorry... I wish I..." I whispered through tears and failed to form proper sentences. Eliana reached out her hand and gently took mine.
"Don't apologize, you have already done so much. You have no idea how happy we are to have you in our family. Arosio struggled a lot with guilt after his sister and brother-in-law's death, and Elijah suffered without a proper mother figure. You will be an amazing wife and mother, I just know it," Eliana's words were sincere and as I gazed into her warm green eyes, I could feel every bit of sincerity from her words.
"Yes, principessa! You are our family from now on," Alanzo chimed in as he gave me one of his devilish smirks. He was dressed in casual joggers and a long sleeve navy blue polo shirt while Adriano was dressed in an expensive looking grey Armani suit, making me wonder what the two did for their jobs. They were gone for a few hours after breakfast after all so they must have jobs.
"Sì, principessa. Che ti piaccia o no," Adriano added and chuckled when I rolled my eyes at him. Of course he would speak Italian just to irk me. I was about to reply when Arsenio suddenly spoke and his words made me stare at him in complete shock. (Yes, princess. Whether you like it or not)
"Enough chatting, it is dinner time soon. Let's make our way to the dining room, Arosio is on his way as well," I gaped at Arsenio and quickly glanced at the clock in their luxurious master bedroom.
Holy shit.
OH MY GOD.
So much time has passed while speaking with Arosio's family. It was now 6:40 pm which means I only have ten minutes to reach the back of this monstrous mansion.
"Mommy, let's go," I was brought back to reality when Elijah began to pull my hand and follow the rest of his family towards the main quarters.
My wide, fearful eyes kept darting around the hallways as I brainstormed an excuse to get away before a light-bulb went off in my head. My footsteps halted, making the family also stop walking and turn around to look at me. I gave them the best innocent smile I could muster up before speaking.
"Um...I need to use the washroom... I will meet you in the dining room," I stated as I took my hand away from Elijah's small hand and instantly felt cold. Why does letting go of his small hand hurt my heart so much?
For a few moments, the whole hallway felt into silence as tension filled the air. I could see Arosio's family struggling to answer me which made me furrow my brows in confusion. Thankfully, my one and only shield ended up helping me.
"Okay, mommy. I will save your spot beside me and daddy," Elijah exclaimed before pushing his family members further away down the hallway. They seemed to hesitate but ended up following the little boy and for some reason, my heart clenched in pain as I saw the little boy getting further and further away from me.
"WAIT!" the scream escaped my lips before I could stop myself and within the blink of an eye, I was running towards Elijah before picking him up and hugging him tightly one last time. I could feel tears gather in my eyes and tried to avoid the penetrating gazes of the De Luca family members who watched me silently by turning around and keeping my back facing them.
"Be safe and listen to your daddy and elders, understood? Eat your food on time and make sure to eat your vegetables and drink milk before bed so that you can become strong like your daddy, grandpa and uncles, alright? If you have nightmares, don't try to face them alone, run to daddy's room and he will protect you. Be a good boy and never do anything bad, promise?" I whispered through fresh tears while kissing his soft cheeks one last time as the little boy stared at me in confusion before nodding his head slowly. By now, I could feel Arosio's parents and brothers staring holes into the back of my head but I refused to turn around.
Ever so slowly, I placed the little boy onto the ground before caressing the side of his face one last time. Without glancing at the De Luca family members, I practically sprinted away from them and hurried to the back of the mansion. I could feel a few staff members staring at me as I ran past them as if my life depended on it but I paid them no mind. Quite frankly, my life really did depend on this.
At exactly 6:50 pm, I made it to the back of the mansion and stepped out into the grand backyard. Even in the darkness of the night, I could see that it was almost as big as the front yard of the house. With frantic eyes, I turned around and searched for my twin sister. Edging closer to the in-ground pool, I tried my best to make out her form in the darkness and froze when I heard a twig snap.
"Finally, I thought you were going to be late. Hurry up and change clothes with me," a cold voice snapped as I turned around and an involuntary gasp escaped me. My twin sister, Isabella Dale, the princess of the prestigious business Dale family, was standing a few feet away from me in nothing but her bra and underwear.
"Oh I'm sorry," was all I could manage to whisper when I saw her look of disgust. It was almost as if I was looking in a mirror. She had temporarily dyed her hair red like mine, it didn't look as natural as mine but to anyone else's eyes, it should look the same. She was even wearing green contact lens since I had warned father in advance.
All these years, I wondered what it would be like to meet my twin sister, part of me hoped that she wouldn't hate me like the rest of our birth family. But hearing her cold voice and seeing the disgust in her facial expression, I already received the answer to my unasked questions.
"What kind of fucking ugly dress is that? So cheap. Whatever, here change into these and give me your dress. Why do you have a ring? Whatever, give that to me too," she scoffed when she saw the least expensive dress that I had chosen from the designer dresses that Arosio had purchased. Seriously, this dress was almost half of what I paid for my college tuition, how could she act so snobby?
Knowing that we had no time, I suppressed my anger and silently took the clothes she handed to me. It was a simple pair of black leggings and an oversize black balenciaga hoodie. We quickly changed into the clothes and I took my hair out of its pony tail before tossing it up into a messy bun. The ring got caught in my hair which reminded me that I needed to give it to her. Thankfully, I had managed to take it off during lunch by using the small butter cube in my salad so now it wasn't stuck like before.
With anxious fingers, I began to take the ring off but froze when Arosio's words lingered in my mind.
"If you ever take that ring off, you will not like the consequences, tesoro," a shiver rushed through me as I recalled his terrifying words before I yanked the diamond ring off and gladly handed it to my sister who eagerly placed it on her ring finger. It didn't really fit properly though, her finger was a bit too big for it.
"Good. Your job here is done, get out. The guards by the back gate are knocked out and our driver is waiting in a black Audi. The gate is open, leave," turning around, I faced my twin sister who hadn't even thanked me for saving her marriage and acting as her while she was off doing who knows what in Paris.
I stared at her for a few moments and fought the urge to tell her off. She was given everything that I wasn't simply because she was born a minute before me and yet she has grown up to be such an awful person. For a single moment, I almost pitied Arosio for being married to her but then I remembered that my goal was to escape this crazy Mafia boss.
Without wasting another second, I nodded towards her before turning around in the direction of the gate. Right as I was about to break off into a sprint, the patio door flew open behind me and his enraged voice filled the silent night.
"Take one more step and I swear to God, nobody will be able to save you from my wrath, tesoro," Arosio's dark words had my body cease its movement mid-step as I shut my fearful eyes tightly and prayed for someone to save me.
*****
Hello lovely readers,
It's 5 am and I couldn't sleep so here a double update. Thanks for supporting me!
PLEASE VOTE, COMMENT & COMMENT! YES, I wrote comment twice because I truly love seeing your comments and I try to respond to each one!